Brake mechanism



Oct. 31, 1939. :V D, STEWART 2,177,954

BRAKE MEcHANIsM Filed June 24, 1938 SSheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 31, l1939. c D. STEWART BRAKE MECHANISM Filed June 24, 1958 mvENToR OARIITON DSTEWART NIN @W Nm om m v Oct. 3l, 1939. (3l Df STEWART 2,177,954

BRAKE MECHAN'ISM Filed June 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llllllllllllllHHHllllllllllllllllllll (u 0 r no CLI Y1 O 03 T (0 K ||;I||`

(u INVENTQR lo o- CARLTON QSTEWART N BYMQL l ATTORNEY Parental oa. 31, 19:'.9y

UNITED STATES PATENTy OFFICE- carlton n. stemt, wunmtm, rs., mmm w The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wil# merding, Pa., a amputation of Application June u, 193s, sel-1.1m. 215,602 Y i 14 emma (ol. iss-ss) This invention relates to'brake rigging for rai1' I way vehicle trucks and more particularly to that type of brake riggingV disclosed in my prior pend-` ing application Serial No. 214,517, filed June 418, 1938, in which'downwatdly directediorces set up in the rigging when the brake shoes are in frictional braking engagement with a wheel and a'xle assembly will be transmitted to the assemblies instead of to the truck frame, and in which an additional brake shoe or shoes; as the case 'f may be,- are adapted to be moved into enmement with the assembly to transmit such torce to the assembly. and to assist in retarding the ats-A sembly.

The brake 'rigging disclosed inthe above-mentioned pending application is of the clasp type' and comprises a single brake cylinder and a single system of operatvely connected levers and rods for actuating clasp arranged brake shoes into and out of braking engagement with a wheel and axle assembly of the truck, and further oomprises a brake carrier member whichn'ormally supports said system from the truck frame and which is actuated by said system when an a plication of the brakes is initiated tomov'e another brake shoe into engagement with the wheel and axle assembly to'assist in retarding the assembly and'to support at least the greater portion of the load imposed on the system'due to the frictional braking engagement of the clasp arranged brake shoesV with the assembly.

An object of-the present invention is to provide' a novel brake arrangement of the above mentioned type in which each clasp arranged brake shoe or each pair of clasp arranged brake shs,

as the case may be, is operated through the medium of a single brake cylinder carried by the brake carrier. As disclosed in the said oopending application, the brake carrier is to be rein'vably carried by the truck frame and responslve to forces set up due to the action oi friction between the brake shoes and thel wheel and axle assembly to move a third brake shoe, or pair of brake shoes, into frictional engagement withthe assembly for assisting in braking the assembly, and for transmitting to the assembly forces set up in the rigging due to the engagement of the clasp arranged brake shoes with the assembly According to this object there are two complete rier mounted on the truck frame. Both riggings are adapted to actuate the carrier into supporting iassembly when an application of the brakes is and braking engagement with the wheel and axle of the truck for inspection and repair.

Other objects and advantages will appear in 10 the following more detailed description of vthe invention. I

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view,

partly in section, of a. railway vehicle truck embodying the invention, the brake carrier and the 15 several parts of thebrake rigging being shown in release position: Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly in section of the same, the

brake carrier and the brake ligging b eing shown in brake applying position; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary m plan view, partly in section, of the truck and brake arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

For illustrative purposes the invention is shown embodied in a railway vehicle truck of the typehaving'a cast metal truck frame I and two long5 gitudinally spaced wheel and axle assemblies 2 and 3, each of which assemblies comprises laterally spaced wheels l which may be secured in any desiredmannertotheaxle isoastorotatetherewith.. 30

Between the wheels and at each side of the truck each axle 5 is suitably journaled in a journal bearing 6 loosely mounted between spaced pedestal jaws 'I depending downwardly from the truck frame, and seated on the journal bearings, 35 and resiliently supporting the truck frame are springs 8.

The truck frame is substantially the same construction as that shown in the aforementioned pending application and comprises sideframes 5 40 which are inset or recessed opposite each wheel to accommodate the wheel and further comprises pedestal jaws and journal bearings disposed inboard of the wheels. The side frames 9 are spaced apart transversely of the truck and may be integrally connected together in the usual manner by transversely extending transoms Il and transversely extending end Ypieces II.

Located outboard of each wheel and axle assembly but adjacent thereto is an annular brake drum I2 which is secured to the outer end of the axle so as to rotate therewith. 'Ihis drum is provided with an outer or peripheral braking surface which is adapted to be frictionally engaged by brake elements I3, lIl and l5, radially 55 arranged about the drum', the greater portion of the elements I3 and i4 being located below the horizontal center line of the drum and opposite sides thereof and the element I5 being located 5 Aabove the drum and centered on substantially the vertical center line thereof. It will here be understood thatl each brake element may comprise the usual brake shoe and brake shoe head, but since this combination of head and shoe is well known the element will, for simplification, be hereinafter referred to by either the term brake shoe or brake shoes.

The brake shoes I5 are pivotally carried by a combined lever and brake rigging supporting member I6 which extends longitudinally of the truck on the outer side of the adjacent side frame 9 and above the brake drum, the brake shoes lbeing arranged one on each side of the member and being operatively connected to the member by means of a transversely extending pin Il.

The inner end of the member I 6 is pivotally connected to the adjacent truck side frame 9 by means of a transversely extending pin I8. The

outer end of the member is made in the form of a circular seat I9 which is loosely mounted for vertical movement in a pocket 20 formed in one end of the truck frame. This seat I9 rests on a spring seat 2| carried by a spring 22 which is seated on the bottom wall-23 of the pocket 20. Extending through a central circular opening in the spring seat 2| and an aligned opening in the wall 23 is a bolt 24, This bolt is provided at its upper end with a head 25 which forms a stop for the spring seat to limit upward'movement of the spring seat relative t'o the wall 23. Exteriorly of the pocket 20 there is screwed on the lower screwthreaded end of the bolt an adjusting nut '26 which, as will hereinafter more fully appear, is adapted to be engaged by the wall 23v to limit upward movement of the bolt. Also screwthreaded on this portion of the bolt is a check nut 21 which is adapted to lock the nut 26 in its proper adjusted position.

It will here be understood that the springs 22 are of considerably less value than the truck supporting springs B'so that they may be compressed without compressing the springs 8. These springs 22 are, however. of such value that when the brakes are released they will support the member I 6 and thereby the brake riggings in the positions in which these parts are shown in Fig. l.

The head 25 of the bolt is square in cross section and extends through a correspondingly shaped opening in the seat I9, there being a slight operating clearance between the head and the seat.

Interposed between and operatively engaging the seat portion I9 of the member I8 and a cover 00 plate 28 secured to the casing forming the pocket 23 is a spring 29 -which is adapted to oppose undue upward movement of the member I6 relative to the truck frame when the brake rigging is in release position and the truck is subjected 55 to the usual service shocks.

The outer end portion of the member I6 is recessed or Aarched on its lower side to clear the periphery of the brake drum I2 and to form downwardly depending legs 3l and 3| which are spaced apart longitudinally of the truck and arranged one on each side of the brake drum.

VThe brake shoes I3 at each end of each whee and-axleassembly are arranged one on each side of a 'vertically disposed brake cylinder lever 32 15 and are pivotally connected t0 the lower end 0f the lever by means of 'a transversely extending in Y33. The upper end of the lever is operatively connected to the outer end of the piston rod 34 of a brake cylinder device 35 which isk secured to the outer side of the member I6. At a point 5 located above the pin 33 the lever is pivotally mounted on a transversely extending pin 36 carried by the leg 30 of the member I5, which pin serves both as a fulcrum and a support for the lever and thereby for the brake shoes. v

The brake shoes I4 at each end of each wheel and axle assembly are arranged one on each side of a vertically disposed brake cylinder lever 38 and are pivotally connected to the lower end of the lever by means of a transversely extending 15 pin 39. 'I'he upper end of the lever is operatively connected to the outer end of the piston rod 40 of a. brake cylinder 4I which is secured to the outer side of the member I6, preferably in longitudinal alignment with the brake cylinder 35. 20 At a point located above the pin 39 the lever is pivotally mounted on a transversely extending pin 42 carried by the leg 3| of the member I6, l which pin serves both as a fulcrum and a sup port for thelever. 25

The brake cylinders 35 and 4I are spaced apart longitudinally of the member I6 to accommodate the brake shoes I5.

The brake-cylinder devices 35 and 4I have not l been shown in detail, this being deemed unneces- 30 sary as they are of the conventional type having a cylinder casing in which there is operatively mounted the usual reciprocable piston. The pistons of these devices are 'responsive to the pres-A sure of fluid supplied to the cylinder portions for 35 actuating the piston rods 34 and 40 and thereby levers 32 and 38, respectively, to effect an application of the brakes and operated upon the venting of iluid from the cylinder portions to permit the usual brake cylinder release springs to move 40 the brake cylinder pistons and thereby the levers and brake shoes to their normal release position.

` lWhen the brake shoes I3 and I4 are being moved Application of the brakes When it is desired to effect an application of the brakes, iluid under pressure -is admitted through conduit 5I and pipe 50 to the brake cylinders 35 and 4I at each end of each wheel and4 axle assembly. 60

In response to the pressure of iuid thus admitted, each pair of brake cylinder devices 35, 4I. function to actuate the operatively connected levers 32 and 33, respectively, to move the respective brake shoes I3 and I4 into braking engage- 65 ment with the peripheral braking surface of the adjacent brake drum I2. With the brake shoes I3 and I4 in such engagement, the increasing force being applied to the brake shoes through the operation of the brake cylinder devices causes 70 the shoes to move downwardly along the peripheral surface oi' the brake drum. This movement is due to Vthe location of the shoes below the horizontal center line of the brake drum and to the application of the braking force to the shoes in a direction substantially parallel the horizontal center line of the drum. The downwardly directed force due to such yaction being trans-.

mitted through the levers to the member IB.

causing the member to move downwardly about the pin I8 and against the opposing action ofthe spring 22 until such'time as the brake shoes I5 engage the drum. At this time the downward movement o! the member I6 and the several brake rigging parts carried thereby will stop since the member will now be rigidly supported by both the truck frame and the brake drum.

With the wheels l and brake drums I2 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig; 1, the drag oi the drums on the brake shoes Il at the front end oi' the truck will cause a further downwardly directed pull to be applied to the levers 38 and thereby to the outer end of the associated member Il, thus augmenting the force appliedv to the brake shoes I5. The drag of the drum on the brake shoes I! at -this end of the' truck has a tendency to move such shoes upwardly but this tendency is overbalanced by the downward force set up by the shoes as they tend to move downwardly along the braking surface of 'the drum under the iniluence of brake cylinder premurelapplied to the lever ll.

'It should here be mentioned that the torce applied to the outer end of the member II,

through the medium oi the lever 38 is the sum of the downwardly directed force produced by the action of the shoes Il under the inuence o! the brake cylinder pressure and the force produced by the downward drag of the brake drum on the brake shoes II, while the force applied to the member I6, through the medium oi the lever 32 is that produced by the action of the shoes I3 under the lniluence of brake cylinder pressure minus the force due to the upward drag .of the brake drum on the shoes Il. From this it will be apparent that the downward pull of the brake shoes I l atthe leading side of the'brake drum will exceed the downward pull oi the brake shoes I3 at the other side of the drum. At.the other or rear end of the truck the downward pull of the brake shoes I3 and I4 on the member It is just the reverse of that of the shoes at the front end of the truck since the disposition oi the shoes I3 and I l with respect to the leading and other side of the brake drum is the reverse of that at the front end.

It will be notedthat at the front end of the truck the greater pull' of the brakeshoes at the leading side of the brake drum is transmitted to the outer end of the member I3 while at the rear end of the truck the corresponding pull nf the brake shoes at the leading side is applied to the member I6 intermediate its ends. -As a result oi' this the ybrake shoes I l at the iront end of the truck will be applied with greateriorce to the brake drum than will the-correspondingbrake shoes at the rear end of the truck.

It will be evident that with the brakes applied the members I i will tend to rotate with the wheel so that the member at the front end of the truck will exert an upward force on its pivot pin I8 and that the member at the rear end o! the truck will exert a downward 'torce on its pivot pin.

In the arrangement shown. the upwardly directed force transmitted to the truck frame throughvthe medium of the member I6 at the iront end of the truck slightly exceeds the down'- wardly directed `force transmittedthrough the medium ofthe .corresponding member i6 at the rear end ci the truck, but the diilerence in the pending application.

magnitude of these forces is so slight as to be negligible. If, however, it should be desired to have each of these forces balance the otherL the only change in the present arrangement necessary to insure this result is to connect the inner 5 ends of the members Il at each side of the truck trame to the frame by a single pin arranged on the transverse center line of the truck .in the same manner as shown in the aforementioned It will thus be seen that with the brake rigging lo in application position, the brake shoes I5, besides serving to assist in supporting the member Il and thereby the brake rigging, also act to resist rotary movement of the drum thus materially increasing thebraking action on a wheel and axle assembly for any given brake applying force apliliedtt' the 11881118.

When the vehicle is inmction and an application of the brakes is initiated, the momentum o! the body of the vehicle has a tendency to tilt the truck forwardly with the result that the ad'- heainn between the rear truck wheels and the track rails will be unintentionally decreased, so that these wheels will have sa. greater tendency to slide on the rails than will the front truck wheels.

With this in mind the brake arrangement disclosed in the drawings has been so designed that the total braking iorce of the three sets oi brake shoes on the rear wheels of the truck, for a given brake cylinder pressure, will be less than" that of the corresponding brake shoes on the front wheels, thereby lessening the tendency oi' the rear wheels to slidejon the rails.

Release of the brakes When it is desired to release the brakes, fluid under pressure is vented from the brake cylinder devices. When this is accomplished the usual release springs, not shown, in the brake cylinder devices cause the brake cylinder pistons andpston rods to move inwardly to their normal release pomtion. This causes the brake levers and thereby the brake shoes I3 and Il to assume their normal release positions as shown in Fig. 1. It willhere be noted that as vthe brake shoes I3 and Il move out of contact with the brake drum the springs 22 act to raise the outer end of. the member I6, thereby moving the brake shoes I S out oi engagement with the drum, the upward 50 movement of the members being limited by the engagement of the washer 2I with the heads 25 of the bolts and the engagement of the adjusting nuts n with the bottom wan or the pocket zu.

' the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore wish to be limited otherwise than by the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I 00 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

. 1. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, means including a brake cylinder device for actuating said shoe, and means movably connected to said truck frame adapted to support said shoe and the shoe actuating means and being movable into engagement with said assembly by the shoe actuating means acting under the influence of forces set up by the engagement of said shoe with the assembly.

2. The combination with arailway vehicle truck 75 comprising a supporting wheel and axle assembly, 'of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with .said assembly, mechanism including a prime mover for actuating said shoe, and means supporting said mechanism and movable into engagement with said assembly in response to forces set up by the engagement of said shoe with the assembly.

3. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, a lever for actuating said shoe, a prime mover for actuating said lever, and means supporting said shoe, prime mover and lever land movable into engagement with said assembly by said lever in response to forces set 'up by the engagement of said shoe with the assembly.

4. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a supporting wheel and axle assembly, clasp arranged brake shoes movable into braking engagement with said assembly, two mechanisms operative separately from each other for actuating said shoes, each of said mechanisms including a prime mover, and means supporting saidl mechanisms and movable into engagement with said assembly in response to forces set up by the engagement of said shoes with the assembly. 5. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of clasp arranged brake shoes movable into braking engagement'l with said assembly, two mechanisms operative separately from .each other for actuating said shoes, each of said mechanisms' including a prime mover, another brake shoe movable into engagement with said assembly, and means supporting said mechanism and operative in response to forces set by the engagement of said clasp arranged brake shoes with said assembly to move said other brake shoe into engagement with the assembly.

6. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a supporting wheel and axle assern'- bly, of clasp arranged brake shoes movable into braking engagement with said' assembly, two mechanisms operative separately from each other for actuating said shoes, each of said mechanisms including a prime mover, another brake'l shoe movable into engagement with said assembly, and means supporting said other brake shoe and both of said mechanisms and operative in response to forces set up by the engagement of said clasp arranged brake shoes with said assembly to move said other brake shoe into'engagement with the assembly. f

7.k .The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck `frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly, oi.' a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, a lever for actuating said shoe, a primemover for actuating said lever, and means movably connected to said truck frame adapted to support said lever and prime mover and being movable by said lever in response to the forces set up by the engagement of said shoe with the assembly into' engagement with the assembly.

8. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck frame anda supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, alever for actuating said shoe, a prime mover for actuating said lever, and meansvpivotally connected to said truck frame for Avertical movement relative to the truck frame and adapted to support said lever and-prime mover, said means being movable into engagement with said assembly by said lever in response to forces set 'up by'the engagement of said shoe withthe assembly.

9. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, a brake carrier secured at one end to said frame for vertical rocking movement relative thereto, a downwardly depending leg' adjacent the other end oi said carrier, a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said leg' and operable to move said shoe into braking engagement with said assembly, and a brake cylinder on said carrier operable to actuate said lever, said carrier being rockable into engagement with said assembly under the iniluence of the force set up by 'the engagement oi said shoe with the assembly.

A10. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck frame and a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of 'a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly. a brake carrier secured' at one end to said frame for vertical rocking movement relative thereto, a downwardly depending leg adiacent the other end of said carrier, a vertically disposed lever pivotallyv connected at its lower end to said shoe and pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said leg, said lever being operable to move said shoe into braking engagement with said assembly, and a brake cylinder on said-carrier connected to the upper end of said lever and operable to actuate the lever, said carrier being rockable into engagement with said assembly under the influence of the force set up by the engagement of said shoe with the assembly.

11. The combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a truck frame and a. supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe movable into braking engagement with said assembly, a brake carrier secured at one end to said frame for vertical rocking movement relative thereto, a downwardly depending leg adjacent the other end of said carrier, a vertically disposed lever pivotally connected at its lowerend to said shoe and pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said leg, said lever being operable to move said shoe into braking engagement with said assembly, a lbrake shoe for engagement with the assembly carried by said carrier, and located over the assembly centrally with respect to the vertical center line of 'the assembly and a brake cylinder device on said carrier operative to actuate said lever, said carrier being rockable by said lev`er under the iniluence of the force set up by the engagement the first mentioned brake shoe with the assembly to move the second mentioned brake shoe into engagement with the assembly.

l2; 'I'he combination with a railway vehicle truck comprising a supporting wheel and axle assembly, of a brake shoe located below the horizontal center line of the assembly and movable rier being movable in response to the forces set up by the engagement of the rst mentioned brake shoe with the assembly for moving the sec- 2,111,984 mia menumiea-brein.- shoe-117m: enmement 'n n' the'. 13. The combination with e railway vehicle truck comprising :struck frame -and 'a supporb ing wheel and axle assembly, orclasp munged brake shoes movable into braking t with said ,obnhe member corried bysaid truck frnme'snd'extending over said assembly at anfangletotheaxis thereof, and being movable relativeto the truck frame into :1111110111118 relationship withnidaasembinapair of spaced less'denendingrom anni` memberantistriuifiiingthesxlaeoftlieassexnhlv, a brake lev'erepivotaliyvconnected tothe lowers. endof eachof seid lessfondopentivetoaetuete j .one'ot said brake shoenmd means carried by .e

said supporting'memberfor actuating mid levers. 14..'1'he combination `with s nilwly vehicle brake shoes movable into braking engagement to aotuete one of shoes, and means by saidsupporting. member for actuat- -lower end of cachot said legs'and operative'.

ing wheel'snd `axle b ,'ofclasp arranged` ing slid levers, saidrbrake supporting member into supporting relationship with assembly-by ssidlevers acting undervthe in- A CARLTON D. STEWART.

` nuence of forces sete-up by the engagement of' 

